England snuck to a nerve-jangling three-wicket win over Pakistan with two balls left to clinch a high-quality T20I series 2-1 at Old Trafford.

As was the case in the host's series-levelling victory at Headingley on Sunday, sweltering conditions and a dry surface played into the hands of the spinners, with Adil Rashid (4-35) again the England attack.

Moeen Ali returned a miserly 1-19 from his four overs as the England seamers went wicketless and Mohammad Rizwan carried his bat for a 57-ball 76 within 154-6.

Jason Roy went six, four and out in Leeds but produced something more substantial here, with 12 fours and a six before perishing on the slog sweep at Usman Qadir for 64 off 36 deliveries.

Jos Buttler (21) and Jonny Bairstow (five) also skewed slow bowling skywards and Eoin Morgan (21) joined an out-of-sorts Dawid Malan with the score 112-4 after 15 overs, Moeen having been cleaned up by Mohammad Hafeez (3-28).

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam went back to pace in a pivotal 18th over and Morgan flogged him for a pair of sixes, although Hasan Ali had the last laugh, having the England captain caught at mid-on with four balls remaining.

Malan's dogged 31 had been ended by Hafeez and Liam Livingstone had gone six and out by that stage, meaning a pair of scampered twos from all-rounder Chris Jordan were required to finish the job.

Rashid masterclass pivotal

Previously, if you were told an England v Pakistan series would be decided by a masterful leg-spinner, it would not have boded well for the hosts. But Rashid has been at his majestic best after resting up for the opening defeat at Trent Bridge. His career-best figures at Old Trafford made him the leading wicket-taker on either side with six at an average of 10.83 and an economy rate of 8.12.

Malan struggling to justify top billing

England's number three entered this series in the peculiar position of being the number-one rated T20I batsman in the world but with questions over his place in the side. Those two realities remain and, although his gutsy effort on a spinning slow wicket was ultimately valuable after Morgan's men got over the line, 31 off 33 deliveries would have looked fairly wretched in defeat.

Man of the series Livingstone surely cannot languish down at number seven in the long-term, while Ben Stokes' return means Malan could still find himself as the odd man out when the T20 World Cup rolls around in October.